To tackle the challenges that plantation smallholders in the Greater Mekong countries face in successful integration into sustainable supply chains, WWF and RECOFTC jointly organized a workshop in June 2018.

To tackle the challenges that plantation smallholders in the Greater Mekong countries face in successful integration into sustainable supply chains, WWF and RECOFTC jointly organized a workshop in June 2018. Smallholders from five Mekong countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam) operating in the rubber, teak and acacia supply chains gathered for 3 days to communicate some of their solutions as to improve their business engagement with associated supply chain companies.

With RECOFTC’s facilitation, workshop participants unpacked and gained a better understanding of their supply chain operations, built confidence and communication strategies, and prepared solutions to be presented to potential buyers. In a range of meetings with private sector actors they articulated these proposals while inviting feedback. Incentivized and with newly gained insights from a corporative stakeholder they don’t usually meet, the smallholders were able to develop some concrete next steps to tackle their challenges.

WWF staff from all five regional country offices joined RECOFTC staff as well as smallholders and representatives from the private sector from around the region in the three-day workshop. Presentations by WWF staff included the benefits of the FSC business model in streamlining acacia supply chains and the opportunity for using Blockchain technology in improving rubber traceability.

WWF and RECOFTC team up to strengthen sustainable supply chains in June 2018 workshop